It’s a brand which has laid the foundation of many great motor racing drivers’ careers, and now Van Diemen is bursting back onto the scene with the imminent arrival of their new track day car, the RF P350, and their new Formula Ford, the RF23.
Both are scheduled for release early next year as the chassis builder reinvigorates its brand onto the world stage with new designs.
It’s only fitting that Van Diemen return to their roots with a new generation Formula Ford, the RF23, yet another development in a category which has brought them so much success in the past.
The 2023 Van Diemen will see an update to the current Firmen RF21 [shown in the picture below] car’s bodywork to increase its competitive advantage over its competitors.
The engine bay has been purpose-built for installing a Formula Ford 1600 Kent, featuring an elite 4-speed (plus 1 R) gearbox. Bodywork is made of traditional fibreglass with side-pods designed with side impact structures. This will be built around a Space Frame Chassis with high torsional stiffness.
The introduction of the RF23 is sure to excite many, but the development of the RF P350 is the icing on the cake in what promises to be an exciting year for Van Diemen.
Intended for track day drivers and professionals alike, the RF P350 has been constructed to use a variety of engines, including the Ford EcoBoost technology, which will be available in 350, 450, and 530BHP
The chassis is designed to fit 2019 FIA F3 regulations yet will display downforce similar to an F2 car. Aerodynamics will be the key to its success, with LM-style covered wheels and carbon upper- and lower-rear wings attributing to what will indeed be a fast racing experience.
The RF P350 offers three levels of engine tune, the base 350BHP, a 450, plus a 530BHP in a car weighing less than 550K’s
The driver’s safety is also considered with the introduction of an F1-spec halo protecting the driver.
The two additions to Van Diemen build on a brand steeped in history throughout the motor racing industry.
Founded in 1973 in the UK by Ralph Firman Sr. and Ross Ambrose, the father of Australian motor racing icon Marcus Ambrose, Van Diemen became the largest and most popular brand of Formula Ford cars in the world, including in New Zealand.
The first model, the FA73, immediately announced the arrival of the company to the scene, Derek Lawrence driving to success at the 1973 BRDC Formula Ford 1600 championship.
The likes of Ayrton Senna, Mark Webber and Eddie Irvine can attribute their early successes to Van Diemen throughout the 70s and 80s.
It was the 90s when they began to dominate Formula Ford, winning the British championship five times this decade and the festival seven.
To this day, Van Diemen chassis still dominate the New Zealand Formula Ford scene, with the likes of Liam Sceats, Blake Knowles, Dylan Grant and Mason Potter competing in various iterations in both the North and South Island Formula Ford series.
Their success has not just been limited to Formula Ford, however.
Van Diemen delved into the British Formula 3 scene in the late 70s with little success before sticking to Formula Ford throughout the 80s.
The 1991 maiden Formula Renault Eurocup campaign experienced some success, with Bobby Verdon-Roe winning the championship in a customer-centred Van Diemen.
In 1992 a return to Formula 3 also came about, their first composite chassis bearing the Van Diemen name built by Precision Composites. It was again a difficult entry into the class, but once they began exporting to the United States, things began to change with a range of success in the USF2000 category.
The sale of Van Diemen to US company Elan Motorsport Technologies, the race car division of Panos Corporation, saw the brand gradually fade away as Van Diemen’s activities were gradually incorporated into Élan Motorsport.
And today, a brand is born-again due to the efforts of Ralph Firman Jr and his father, Ralf Snr, and the recent acquisition of their former trade mark and intellectual copyrights.
Time will tell where this iconic brand heads next, but one thing is for sure: Van Diemen is back and back to win.
The RF P350 and RF 23 are just other chapters in a book that’s continuing to write itself.
